New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs stated on Friday that India and Greece are considering raising their bilateral ties to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit to the European country next week.
It will be an Indian prime minister’s first visit to Greece in four decades. According to the MEA, Modi will leave Johannesburg on August 25 for Athens. He will conduct extensive meetings with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Modi will be in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24 to attend the annual BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) conference. “Prime Minister will also participate in a special event “BRICS – Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue” being organized after the BRICS Summit, which will include other countries invited by South Africa,” reads the official statement issued by MEA.
In the meetings between Modi and Mitsotakis, both India and Greece are trying to elevate bilateral relations to the level of comprehensive strategic cooperation. “India and Greece enjoy civilizational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defence, trade and investments and people-to-people ties. Prime Minister will hold talks with Prime Minister Mitsotakis to discuss ways to further deepen the relationship. He will also interact with business leaders from both countries, as well as with the Indian community in Greece,” the statement further reads.
Both sides want to strengthen their collaboration in commerce, business, defence, and people-to-people interactions.
Modi’s scheduled visit to Athens took on added significance because it would be India’s first prime ministerial visit to Greece since then-prime minister Indira Gandhi visited in September 1983. The Greek prime minister Andreas Papandreou then visited India three times: in November 1984 for Indira Gandhi’s funeral, in January 1985 for a nuclear disarmament meeting, and in January 1986 as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day ceremony.
